Does this product contain fragrance?

Yes. The ingredient list names Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Fragrance and Hexyl Cinnamal. They sit on the panel printed on this page, so you can read the position for yourself before you buy. If fragrance components are something you avoid, this product is not the one.

What else is on the list besides Vanillyl Butyl Ether?

Zinc PCA, Niacinamide and Adenosine. The order they are printed in on this product's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Vanillyl Butyl Ether sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid.

Dr. Melaxin

Cactox 3-Step Nose Pore Pack 3P

Name: Dr. Melaxin Cactox 3-Step Nose Pore Pack 3P
Brand: Dr. Melaxin
SKU: 2370
Price: 32.5 USD
Availability: InStock

Dr. Melaxin Cactox 3-Step Nose Pore Pack 3P is a product from Dr. Melaxin built around Vanillyl Butyl Ether.

No reviews yet

$32.50

Korean-market formula
Ships from California or direct from Korea
Korean barcode and batch code intact

Suited to: Blemish-prone skinCombination skinOily skinOccasional breakouts

Helps with: Individual blemishesOvernight spot careDiscreet daytime wearTargeted breakout care

In stock. Arrives in 3 to 7 business days

You’re $100.00 away from free US shipping.

30-day returns
Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
Tracked delivery to your door

Verified authentic Shipping and returns

Key benefits

Vanillyl Butyl Ether, the active this product is built around
Zinc PCA, Niacinamide, Adenosine and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate on the same list, actives
Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid further down the same list
Gluconolactone and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 further down the same list
Vanillyl Butyl Ether named seventeenth on the manufacturer list printed on this page

Key actives

17Vanillyl Butyl Etheractive

A warming sensory agent derived from vanillin. It produces a mild tingling warmth on contact, which is the sensation lip products are describing when they say plumping. On this product's own ingredient list it is named seventeenth.

All products with Vanillyl Butyl Ether

53Zinc PCAactive

Zinc PCA pairs zinc with the humectant PCA. It is used in oily and blemish-prone formulas for the look of shine and visible pores, and it hydrates at the same time. The panel names it fifty-third on this product's list, beside Vanillyl Butyl Ether.

All products with Zinc PCA

60Niacinamideactive

Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. It is named sixtieth on this product's list, alongside Vanillyl Butyl Ether.

All products with Niacinamide

69Adenosineactive

Adenosine is a nucleoside that Korea's own cosmetic authority recognises as a wrinkle-care functional ingredient, which is why it appears on so many Korean lists at a low level. It is used for the look of fine lines and is stable and well tolerated. It is named sixty-ninth on this product's list, alongside Vanillyl Butyl Ether.

All products with Adenosine

72Dipotassium Glycyrrhizateactive

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate is a water-soluble salt derived from licorice root. It is named seventy-second on this product's list, alongside Vanillyl Butyl Ether.

All products with Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Inside the formula

101

Ingredients declared

#15

Fragrance on the list

17Vanillyl Butyl53Zinc PCA60Niacinamide69Adenosine

17Vanillyl Butyl
53Zinc PCA
60Niacinamide
69Adenosine

Where each key active sits on the declared ingredient list, by entry number. Position is proportion: the further forward, the larger its share.

1 of 3

Contains fragrance (parfum)

Not on the ingredient list below: denatured or SD alcohol, essential oils, parabens, sulfate surfactants and mineral oil or petrolatum.

Full INCI (101): Step 1: Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Propanediol, Trehalose, Arginine, PEG-75, Glycolic Acid, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Salicylic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fragrance, Disodium EDTA, Vanillyl Butyl Ether, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Maltodextrin, Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract, Gluconolactone, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Flower Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Fruit Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract, Malus Domestica Fruit Extract, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract, Apium Graveolens (Celery) Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Fruit Extract, Prunus Mume Fruit Extract, Bioflavonoids, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citronellol | Step 2: PVP, Water, Glycerin, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Titanium Dioxide, Kaolin, VP/VA Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Zinc PCA, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Bacillus Ferment | Step 3: Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Propanediol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Panthenol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Pullulan, Adenosine, Arginine, Disodium EDTA, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Fragrance, Sodium Polyacrylate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Centella Asiatica Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Fruit Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hexapeptide-9, Nonapeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal

Ingredient list read from melaxin.com on 30 August 2026.

66 of 101 explained

Butylene Glycol humectant: Butylene Glycol is a small glycol that does two jobs at once: it holds water in the top layer of skin and it dissolves plant extracts and actives that plain water cannot. It also thins a formula, which is why watery Korean essences lean on it.
Glycerin humectant: Glycerin is the most used humectant in skincare. It draws water into the outer layer of skin and holds it there, and it is one of the very few ingredients whose hydrating effect is settled science rather than marketing. Higher amounts feel tacky, which is why it is usually blended.
1,2-Hexanediol humectant: 1,2-Hexanediol is a glycol used for two reasons: it holds water like glycerin, and it makes a formula harder for microbes to live in, so less traditional preservative is needed. Korean formulas use it heavily for that second reason.
Propanediol humectant: Propanediol is a plant-derived glycol used in place of propylene glycol. It hydrates, carries actives into solution, and gives a lighter, less sticky slip than glycerin at the same strength.
Trehalose humectant: Trehalose is a sugar that some desert plants use to survive drying out. In skincare it is a humectant that holds water in the outer layer and helps a formula feel comfortable rather than tight.
Arginine amino acid: Arginine is an amino acid that does two jobs here: it holds water in the outer layer of skin, and it neutralises acidic gelling agents, which is why it often stands in for a synthetic pH adjuster.
Glycolic Acid exfoliant: Glycolic Acid is the smallest AHA, which is why it is also the most penetrating and the most likely to sting. It loosens the bonds between dead surface cells and is used for the look of dullness and rough texture.
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil emulsifier: PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is a castor-oil-derived solubiliser. It is what keeps fragrance and oil-soluble ingredients dissolved in a watery formula so it stays clear.
Salicylic Acid exfoliant: Salicylic Acid is a BHA, and the only common exfoliant that is oil soluble, so it can work inside a pore rather than only on the surface. It loosens the dead cells that block pores and is used for the look of congested, oily skin.
Xanthan Gum thickener: Xanthan Gum is a polysaccharide made by fermenting sugar. It thickens a watery formula into a gel and holds the whole thing in suspension so nothing separates. Too much of it and a serum turns stringy, which is why it appears in fractions of a percent.
Coptis Japonica Root Extract plant extract: Coptis Japonica is a traditional East Asian medicinal root, bright yellow from its berberine content. In skincare its extract is used for the look of congested, oily skin.
Ethylhexylglycerin preservative booster: Ethylhexylglycerin softens skin and boosts a preservative system, which is why it is nearly always sitting beside phenoxyethanol or 1,2-hexanediol. It also cuts down the odour bacteria produce, so it turns up in deodorising products.

54 more explained

Fragrance fragrance: Fragrance, or Parfum, is a single declaration standing for a whole scent blend, which can be dozens of materials. Regulators allow it as a trade secret, so a list showing only this word does not say what the scent is made of. It is the most common trigger named by people with reactive skin.
Disodium EDTA chelator: EDTA is a chelator: it locks up trace metal ions from water and packaging that would otherwise turn a formula cloudy, off-colour or rancid. It does nothing to skin and appears at a fraction of a percent.
Vanillyl Butyl Ether active: A warming sensory agent derived from vanillin. It produces a mild tingling warmth on contact, which is the sensation lip products are describing when they say plumping.
Lactobacillus Ferment ferment: Lactobacillus Ferment is the liquid left after lactobacillus bacteria have fermented a plant or milk substrate. It carries the small molecules the fermentation produced, including lactic acid and amino acids, and is used for the look of dull, uneven skin.
Maltodextrin film former: Maltodextrin is a starch-derived sugar chain used to carry powdered extracts and to form a light film. It also gives a soft, smoothing feel.
Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract plant extract: Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract is gardenia extract broken into smaller fragments so a water-based formula can carry it evenly.
Gluconolactone exfoliant: Gluconolactone is a PHA, the gentlest exfoliant class. Its molecule is too large to penetrate quickly, so it smooths the surface without the sting of an AHA, and it is a humectant at the same time.
Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract plant extract: Willow Bark Extract carries salicin, the plant compound salicylic acid is related to. The two are not interchangeable: willow bark is a mild clarifying extract, not a BHA exfoliant at the levels used in cosmetics.
Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract plant extract: Eggplant Fruit Extract carries nasunin, the antioxidant pigment in aubergine skin. It is used as an antioxidant plant extract.
Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Fruit Extract plant extract: Kiwi fruit extract, high in vitamin C and fruit acids. It is used as a conditioning antioxidant extract.
Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract plant extract: Lemon fruit extract, carrying citric acid, sugars and flavonoids. It is the water-based fruit extract rather than the peel oil, so it brings the fruit acids without the aromatic terpenes.
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract plant extract: Prickly pear cactus stem extract, from the pad rather than the fruit. The pad is full of mucilage, so the extract hydrates and leaves a cushioned feel.
Malus Domestica Fruit Extract plant extract: Apple fruit extract, carrying malic acid, sugars and polyphenols. It is used as a conditioning extract and a mild source of fruit acid.
Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract plant extract: Chia seed extract. Chia seed swells into a gel in water, so the extract hydrates and leaves a cushioned feel.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract plant extract: Aloe Leaf Extract is mostly water with polysaccharides, amino acids and mild plant acids. It hydrates and leaves a light, cooling film, which is why it is the default after-sun ingredient.
Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract plant extract: Kale leaf extract, carrying carotenoids, vitamin C and glucosinolates. It is used as a plant antioxidant.
Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract plant extract: Broccoli extract, carrying sulforaphane and vitamin C. It is used as a plant antioxidant.
Apium Graveolens (Celery) Extract plant extract: Celery extract, carrying flavonoids, minerals and plant acids. It is used as a light conditioning extract.
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract plant extract: Camellia Sinensis is the tea plant. Green tea leaf extract carries catechins, among the most studied plant antioxidants, and is used for the look of redness and oily shine.
Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract plant extract: Tea Tree Leaf Extract is the water-based extract rather than the essential oil, so it is far milder and much less aromatic. It is used in formulas for blemish-prone skin.
Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Fruit Extract plant extract: Avocado fruit extract, the water-soluble fraction rather than the pressed oil. It is used as a conditioning extract.
Prunus Mume Fruit Extract plant extract: Korean plum extract, from the fruit used to make maesil syrup. It is acidic and carries organic acids and polyphenols.
Bioflavonoids antioxidant: Bioflavonoids is a collective declaration for the flavonoid fraction of a plant extract, usually citrus. It names a class of plant antioxidants rather than one compound.
Benzyl Salicylate fragrance component: Benzyl Salicylate is a faint floral aromatic that also holds a fragrance on skin longer. It is one of the 26 fragrance components EU labelling requires to be named.
Hexyl Cinnamal fragrance component: Hexyl Cinnamal is a jasmine-like aromatic. It is one of the 26 fragrance components EU labelling requires to be named individually.
Water solvent: Water is the base almost every serum, toner and cream is built on. It dissolves the water-loving ingredients and sets how light the finished texture feels. On an INCI list it is usually first, which only means it is the largest single ingredient by weight.
Kaolin absorbent: Kaolin is white clay, the mildest of the cosmetic clays. It absorbs oil and lifts loose debris from the surface without stripping, which is why it is the clay used on drier skin.
Phenoxyethanol preservative: Phenoxyethanol is the most widely used cosmetic preservative outside the paraben family. It keeps a water-containing formula from growing bacteria and mould, and is capped at one percent in most markets, so it always sits low on a list.
Zinc PCA active: Zinc PCA pairs zinc with the humectant PCA. It is used in oily and blemish-prone formulas for the look of shine and visible pores, and it hydrates at the same time.
Centella Asiatica Extract plant extract: Centella Asiatica is the plant behind the whole cica category, sold as gotu kola or Madagascar centella. Its extract is the anchor of Korean formulas built for easily reddened skin, and its work is done by four triterpenes: asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid.
Niacinamide active: Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. It is used at roughly 2 to 5 percent for the look of uneven tone and visible pores, and it is water soluble, stable and comfortable beside almost every other active, which is why it turns up in so many lists.
Panthenol humectant: Panthenol is pro-vitamin B5: skin converts it to pantothenic acid. It is a humectant that holds water and leaves skin feeling soft and less tight, and it is one of the ingredients formulators reach for when a formula also contains something harsh.
Carbomer thickener: Carbomer is a synthetic polymer that only gels once a base neutralises it, which is why arginine or tromethamine sits nearby on the list. It gives the clear, non-stringy gel texture a xanthan formula cannot reach.
Pullulan film former: Pullulan is a fermentation-derived polysaccharide that dries to a tight film, which is why it produces a temporary, visible tightening feel on the skin.
Adenosine active: Adenosine is a nucleoside that Korea's own cosmetic authority recognises as a wrinkle-care functional ingredient, which is why it appears on so many Korean lists at a low level. It is used for the look of fine lines and is stable and well tolerated.
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate active: Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate is a water-soluble salt derived from licorice root. It is the licorice fraction Korean formulas use for the look of redness, and it is far more stable in water than the whole extract.
Sodium Polyacrylate thickener: Sodium Polyacrylate is a polymer that absorbs many times its weight in water. It thickens a formula and holds water in a gel against the skin.
Sodium Hyaluronate humectant: Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt of hyaluronic acid, and it is what most products labelled hyaluronic actually contain. The salt dissolves more readily and the molecule is smaller, so it sits in the outer layer of skin rather than only on top of it.
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate emollient: Coco-Caprylate/Caprate is a coconut-derived ester used as a light, dry emollient in place of silicone. It spreads far and leaves a soft finish.
Hydrolyzed Collagen protein: Hydrolyzed Collagen is collagen broken into fragments small enough to dissolve in water. It cannot become collagen in skin; what it does is hold water at the surface and leave a smooth, conditioned film.
Hydrogenated Lecithin emulsifier: Hydrogenated Lecithin is lecithin with its unsaturated bonds filled in, which makes it far more stable. It emulsifies and is the standard shell for the liposomes that carry actives into the outer layer of skin.
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate humectant: Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate carries a positive charge, and skin carries a slight negative one, so it is attracted to the surface and stays through rinsing. It is the hyaluronic used where a formula gets washed off.
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 peptide: Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 is a six-amino-acid peptide used for the look of expression lines, particularly around the eyes. It is the peptide sold under the name Argireline and is water soluble and stable.
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid humectant: Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid cut into much shorter fragments. The smaller the fragment, the further into the outer layer it can settle, which is why serums stack several sizes together instead of using one.
Hexapeptide-9 peptide: Hexapeptide-9 is a six-amino-acid peptide used for the look of firmness and elasticity. It is water soluble and appears in peptide blends rather than alone.
Nonapeptide-1 peptide: Nonapeptide-1 is a nine-amino-acid peptide used for the look of uneven tone rather than for firmness, which makes it unusual among cosmetic peptides.
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 peptide: Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 is the five-amino-acid peptide originally sold as Matrixyl. It is used for the look of fine lines and is one of the longest-standing cosmetic peptides.
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 peptide: Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 is a short peptide with a fatty tail added so it can travel through the oily outer layer of skin. It is used for the look of firmness and is almost always paired with palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7.
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 peptide: Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 is a four-amino-acid peptide with a fatty tail, used for the look of fine lines. With palmitoyl tripeptide-1 it forms the pairing sold as Matrixyl 3000.
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate humectant: Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid modified to be part oil-loving, so it clings to skin instead of rinsing away. Formulators call it the one that stays put.
Hyaluronic Acid humectant: Hyaluronic Acid is a sugar chain the body already makes, and one gram of it can hold several litres of water. In a formula it is a humectant that pulls water to the surface of skin and holds it in a film, which is what makes skin look plumper while it is there.
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer humectant: Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is hyaluronic acid linked into a mesh. It holds water in a soft gel on the surface rather than sinking in, and it releases that water slowly through the day.
Potassium Hyaluronate humectant: Potassium Hyaluronate is another salt of hyaluronic acid, used for the same reason as the sodium form: it dissolves easily and holds a large amount of water in the outer layer of skin.
Ceramide NP barrier lipid: Ceramide NP is the most used cosmetic ceramide, the same class of lipid that makes up roughly half the mortar between cells in the outer layer of skin. Added to a cream it slots into that structure, which is why ceramide formulas feel less leaky rather than merely greasy.

How it works

The Cactox 3-Step Nose Pore Pack 3P is a product. The active it is built around is Vanillyl Butyl Ether, named seventeenth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Zinc PCA, Niacinamide and Adenosine, so the active is not the only thing on it worth naming. How much of the Vanillyl Butyl Ether stays on the skin, and for how long, is decided by the product format rather than by the list alone. Dr. Melaxin sells this Vanillyl Butyl Ether product in Korea, and this is that version.

How to use

Cleanse first, then use the softening step and leave it the time printed on the sachet.
Apply the strip to a slightly damp nose, press it down along the edges, and wait until it is firm before lifting.
Peel it off slowly from the edges inward rather than pulling it away in one go.
Do not skip the third step, since that is the part that settles the area after the strip comes off.

Worth knowing

Apply to clean, dry skin only, since the adhesive will not hold on an oily or damp surface.
Discontinue if irritation develops at the application site.

Complete the routine

This itemDr. Melaxin Cactox 3-Step Nose Pore Pack 3P$32.50
Seal the routine in as the last stepDr.Melaxin Cactox Pore Relief Dual Capsule Cream 65g$75.00
The treatment step of this routineDr.Melaxin TX Astaxanthin Triple Jelly Serum 30ml$70.00

Total for 3 items$177.50

Reviews

No reviews yet. Tell us how much you love the product!

Write a review

Dr.Melaxin Cactox 3-Step Nose Pore Pack 3P

How it felt, how your skin took it, what you layer it with. Straight answers help the next person choose.

Read every customer review

We’re on gram!

Creators trying on authentic Korean skincare routines and products from us.

Watch on YouTube
Rating a shelf of Dr. Althea products one by one.
Jasmine Loo · YouTube
Watch on YouTube
Two hydrating serums side by side, IUNIK and Dr. Althea.
Kristin · YouTube
Watch on YouTube
A walk through the Dr. Althea serum lineup and who each one suits.
auraofmahmuda · YouTube
Watch on YouTube
A blunt first take on the Dr. Althea range.
Lexi Chang · YouTube
Watch on YouTube
A first look at the viral 345 Relief Cream before buying.
Shelley Nayak · YouTube
Watch on YouTube
A first try of the Dr. Althea serum on camera.
Hannah Ziad · YouTube

Dr. Melaxin, Korean-market original

The Original Korean Formula product from Dr. Melaxin, formulated with Vanillyl Butyl Ether and Zinc PCA, shipped from California or direct from Korea.

Verify your unit when it arrives

Korean-market stock with the original barcode and batch code intact, exactly as it left Korea.

On the unit itself

The Korean-market barcode, unaltered from the retail package.
The manufacturer’s batch code, exactly as the maker printed it.

정품Genuine article, Korean-market stock

What professionals say

What skin-care professionals say about the key actives in this formula, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.

It contains liquiritin, an active compound that helps to disperse and remove existing melanin in the skin.
Jennifer Chwalek, MDDermatologist, Byrdie
Niacinamide helps reduce the appearance of pores in a few ways. By strengthening the skin barrier and improving elasticity, pores appear less noticeable and more even.
Ashlyn YankeAesthetician, Cleveland Clinic